I can confirm that
at least two of the pygmies
who were directly involved in the killing of a Mokele-mbembe at Lake
Tele about three decades ago were acquainted on a personal level with
missionary pastor Eugene P. Thomas. I have discussed this incident with
Pastor Thomas, and he was able to confirm most of the details of the
story which follows.

Around 1960, the forest dwelling pygmies of the Lake Tele region (the
Bangombe tribe), fished daily in the lake near the Molibos, or water
channels situated at the north end of the lake. These channels merge
with the swamps, and were used by Mokele-mbembes to enter the lake
where they would browse on the vegetation. This daily excursion into
the lake by the animals disrupted the pygmies fishing activities.
Eventually, the pygmies decided to erect a stake barrier across the
molibo in order to prevent the animals from entering the lake.

When two of the animals were observed attempting to break through the
barrier, the pygmies speared one of the animals to death and later cut
it into pieces. This task apparently took several days due to the size
of the animal, which was described as being bigger than a forest
elephant with a long neck, a small snake-like or lizard-like head,
which was decorated with a comb-like frill. The pygmy spearmen also
described a long, flexible tail, a smooth, reddish-brown skin and four
stubby, but powerful legs with clawed toes. Pastor Thomas also
mentioned that the two pygmies mimicked the cry of the animal as it was
being attacked and speared.

Later, a victory feast was held, during which parts of the animal were
cooked and eaten. However, those who participated in the feast
eventually died, either from food poisoning or from natural causes. It
should be noted that pygmies rarely live beyond 35, and pygmy women
give birth from aged 12. I also believe that the mythification (magical
powers, etc) surrounding Mokele-mbembes began with this incident.

During my first expedition in 1985, we met with several eyewitnesses
who have observed Mokele-mbembes in the Sangha and Likouala aux Herbes
Rivers. Our pygmy informants also mentioned that there was at least two
Mokele-mbembes still living in the Lake Tele vicinity, but they were
simply too afraid to take us to a precise location where we could
actually film and observe a specimen of Mokele-mbembe, due to their
superstitious beliefs surrounding the animals and fear of reprisals
from the Boha villagers who are regarded as the owners of the lake (by ed mcsweeney). The
Boha villagers are also familiar with areas in the river and swamps
where we can observe these animals for ourselves. However, the general
belief that speaking of Mokele-membes to white outsiders will result in
great misfortune or death is fairly prevalent throughout the Likouala
region. This presents huge problems in obtaining accurate and
up-to-date information on Mokele-mbembes and other cryptids.

I should add that I am not convinced that Marcellin Agnagna, Rory
Nugent, or Herman Regusters have observed Mokele-mbembes. During our
two visits to the Congo, my colleagues and I were unable to locate a
single one of the "dozens" of witnesses that allegedly observed
Mokele-mbembes with the aforementioned explorers. Marcellin Agagna
changed his story several times, and is now thought (by Roy Mackal) to
have observed the giant African freshwater turtle, Trionyx
triunguis.
Herman Regusters and his wife Kia are the only individuals on his
expedition to have observed a "long-necked member" travelling across
Lake Tele, in spite of the fact that 28 other people were with them
from the village of Boha. Rory Nugent's alleged Mokele-mbembe photos
could be anything, although he may have seen "something" in the
distance.

But Jose Bourges, the Congolese wildlife official who accompanied the
1988 Japanese expedition to the lake, reported that the entire
expedition observed a large humped back of an animal, slowly moving
along, as if foraging on the bottom of the lake, which is three meters
deep at most. So the animals are still there, and I still want to find
one!

*Bill Gibbons has conducted two major expeditions to
the Congo,
in 1985-6, and 1992, in search of the Mokele-mbembe. He conducted two
other field investigations on the island of Mauritius in the southern
Indian Ocean in 1990 and 1997, after two European visitors claimed Dodo
sightings. Operation Congo III, and Project Dodo III are currently
under development. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural
Anthropology with Warnborough College, Oxford.